<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>
 
Thank you for the many helpful replies I received about pinworms and also
for the earlier messages of support on breastfeeding from women who saw no
relationship to celiac disease or gluten intolerance. For the record, I
didn't wean, just stopped seeing that GI. Any symptoms I had noticed were
attributed by health professionals to, yes, breastfeeding (weight loss,
being run-down), hemarroids acquired during pregnancy
(itchiness/discomfort), clothing, hygiene :(, or gluten/lactose intolerance.
Contrary to the recent thread about nutritionists _not_ identifying gluten
as a culprit, the one I saw a year ago immediately advised I go off all
gluten grains, without any test recommendations. The nutritionist I am
consulting with now says worms aren't considered a factor in gastro problems
because of snobbery that they don't occur in the U.S. But my mother got them
as a kid in rural Idaho, and with the increased exchange of people and food
products among countries, I hope this snobbery will be overcome so that more
consideration/research is done on the possible role of pin and other worms
in GI problems! There is probably more to our family's health issues than
the worms, but it is a relief to have found something that can be "cured".
Thanks again, Ann
 
Here are the replies, which are long, but I believe contain generally useful
info:
----------------------
 I had pinworms as a teenager for about half a
year before we figured out what the problem was (it was thought to be yeast,
UTI, neurotic itching, etc.). I found the little buggers myself one night--I
still remember the horror I felt when I saw them. But even though they were
obviously there, the doctor's "scotch tape test" revealed nothing. We treated it
anyway. I seem to remember that my mother, who is very into natural remedies,
kept wanting to apply yogurt and wanting me to take baths with cider vinegar. I
wish I could remember more of the healing process, but I think it was more a
psychological healing than physical (I truly was horrified at the whole
experience).
 
---------------------
 
 
As a former hospital microbiologist I wanted to reply to your post, just so
you don't feel that the lab blew it with the parasite testing, pinworms
usually do not show up in normal parasite tests where a stool specimen is
collected.  there is a special 'pinworm' test that should be ordered when
pinworms are suspected (the main symptom is extreme anal itchiness).   It
consists of pressing the sticky side of scotch tape to the anal opening
early in the morning before bathing or having a bowel movement.  the scotch
tape is then mounted on a slide which is examined at the lab for pinworm
eggs which have a very distinctive appearance.  The female pinworm migrates
to the anal opening early in the morning to lay her eggs which is why the
test has to be done first thing.
 
-----------------------------
 
I'm not a microbiological expert, but a wastewater engineer  (MEngCE,
UCBerkeley).  If you are getting giardia, it could be (and probably is)
from your drinking water (actually, you can also get it in the shower, if
your mouth is open - not to scare you here.)  Unfortunately, giardia is
rather inoucuous, and very expensive to totally eliminate during water
treatment (standards are for a 99.99% removal, but if you are sensitive,
you only need one giardia cyst to cause a problem).  It is always possible
that there are traces of bacteria and microbes in your water, that are
flourishing in your intestines due to your suppressed immune system (I'm
also celiac - blood test + last week, biopsy next month ).
 
A first step would be to call your water supplier and ask if their water
source is groundwater or surface water (surface water have much higher
giardia contents initially, but groundwater is starting to show increased
giardia content and is not as highly regulated.)
 
The problem is that even though the water leaves the water plant free of
many microbes, they have an opportunity to grow in the pipes on the way to
your house.  (there is a lot of research in this area currently.)
 
A second step would be to take  samples of  some of your tap water and have
it analyzed.  Look for a water testing laboratory in your area, and ask
them for sample bottles (sterilized).  I would wear gloves, or wash my
hands very well before sampling.  Take one sample immediately after turning
on the tap (cold or tepid, to see if the pipes are allowing the microbes to
grow).  Then let the water run for about 5 minutes (cold or tepid) and take
another sample.  I would recommend including a sample of boiled, bottled
(distilled) water, marked as tap, just to keep the lab honest.
 
If your water tests positive, I would definitely stick to bottled water and
warn your children against drinking bath/shower water (maybe use a
washcloth on faces, not letting the water run down the face).  You can also
find home RO, reverse osmosis, or UV, ultraviolet light, home water
treatment systems, which would would probably kill all microbiolobical
sources in your water (and right at your source!) and greatly decrease
occurences.
 
------------------
 
Pinworms do not cause significant gastrointestinal symptoms (except
rectal itching). Giardia, however, causes symptoms (bloating, abdominal
cramps, diarrhea, nausea) indistinguishable from gluten enteropathy.
 
Giardiasis is not common in the US. You usually get it from drinking
water from an untreated supply; occasionally hunters and outdoorsmen get
it.
 
I had a lot of experience with it in the Peace Corps in Nepal; it is
fortunately easy to treat with Flagyl or quinacrine (after, of course,
you diagnose it with a positive stool sample).
 
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Just for the future, a Ova and Parasite will not pick up pinworms - there
is a separate test for that.
 
 
--------------------------------
 
I have never had pinworms, but there is a remedy that is supposedly
effective for parasites, as well as virus population and bacterial
population increases in your body.  I am not talking about "good
bacteria".   It is called colloidal silver.  It is not recognized through
the typical Western Medical channels, but it does have an incredible
effect on over 630 different, infectiously harmful bacteris.  The list
includes, staph, strep, hepititus to name a few.
 
The bottle runs about $25.00, or so.  It comes with a dropper, and is
perscribed to 10 drops in a glass of water three times a day.  The
program should only last for three full days (take between 4 to 6 hours
per glass of water.
 
Additional information may be researched by you if this is at all
interesting.  I am not a reseller or distributor of the product, just an
advocate of remaining healthy.
 
I might lend advise on the water issue, you need to pick up a water
filter that filters up to 1.0 to .5 microns.  This should cost under
$250.00.  There is a filter available, costing $360.00 that filters to .1
Microns, but this may be too much.  I know the filter on the $350.00 unti
has a $60.00 filter that may be changed every 10,000 gallons.  This
amounts to once a year, about.  If your home water supply is
contaminated, you might also be interested in getting a shower filter
also.  Again, I have no affiliation with these filter products, I just am
aware of their existance.